Family Ties
by Midnight Whistles
Summary: They couldn't explain to the clone just why they were a family, but maybe they could show him?
1. Chapter 1

**_Family Ties_**

_Italics - _mind link :). I don't own anything but the storyline :p

The members of Young Justice were currently all crowded around their youngest member, who sat on the couch with a large dictionary open on his lap. He was peering intently at the book, finger running down the pages until, suddenly, he pointed with a triumphant cry at a word on the page.

'Here it is Supey! This should help to explain about families' the ebony haired boy grinned, pleased with himself.

The day had begun as normal, with the team hanging out at the cave in between training and receiving missions. It had been a quiet morning, and all members had been enjoying the peace and relaxation. Except for Conner. Apparently, while Cadmus had taught him many useful things, they had unfortunately skipped put such topics that they viewed as 'irrelevant' for a super-cloned weapon. This group of 'irrelevant' subjects included issues such as love, friendship, caring and other intimate emotions that most people thrive on. So it was such that, when Black Canary referred to the team as having the strong bonds of a family, Connor wished to find out exactly what this meant.

'Well, hurry up! What does it say then, Rob?' Wally prodded the boy's arm impatiently, who rolled his eyes and read the definition aloud.

**'Family**: '_any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins'._He finished with a flourish,before pausing slightly and cocking his head to the side in thought. Glancing upwards at the other members of his team, Dick noticed that he was not the only person who seemed less than satisfied with the definition. Well, yes, it was admittedly correct, but wasn't a family so much...more than just blood ties? Did trust and love have nothing to do with it at all?

'So Canary was wrong then. Why would she call us a family if none of us are related?' Superboy demanded in an irritated tone.

The dictionary stated that families are distinguishable through their blood relation to each other. That all members are related and live under the same household; have been brought up by the same parents. However, this seemed so shallow, barely touching upon the true meaning of the word. But this was becoming difficult to explain to a 16 week old clone.

'Conner, while it is true that none of us are blood relation exactly, I feel that we have become a family, or sorts, in other ways and tha-' Kaldur began, attempting to explain to the clone.

But he would have none of it.

'If we aren't related by blood, how can we be a family? I mean, look at me and Superman. We _are _blood related and he doesn't even look at me so how can a group of people that don't even have that one basic connection call themselves a family!' Conner sneered angrily, his fists clenching at his sides. Superman was a sensitive issue for the Boy of Steel.

The remaining members of the team shared concerned glances with each other. Kaldur glance once more at the seething clone before nodding to M'gann whilst subtly indicating to his head. The martian caught his eye and nodded quickly before linking up the team, minus Conner, to the telepathic link she had established.

_Everyone besides Conner online? _She asked, hesitantly, before receiving various replies instantly.

_You know it, babe_

_Oh for the love of God Baywatch..._

_Yeah Miss M_

_Good. Now that we are all able to talk freely about this. How are we to tackle this issue that faces us. It is clear that Superboy is very distressed. _Kaldur's voice, calm and reasonable rang through their minds.

_Welllll...it's not as if the dictionary is wrong. I mean technically we're not really a family. But... _Wally trailed off with a sigh.

_But we have clearly formed the bonds of a family and I for one feel that we are as close, if not closer than any blood relations that I know of. _Kaldur answered.

_We can't let Conner keep thinking that he doesn't have a family that loves him! He looks so sad..._Miss Martian stated softly, watching Superboy from the corner of her eye as he grumbled at the static on the television.

_Wait, guys, I think I have an idea. _Robin's excited voice chimed. _Now, I know we can't really tell Supes we're a family, as we already sort of failed at that... But what if we could show him? Show him how much we all mean to each other and stuff. I mean, I'm not sure how exactly and it might not work but-_

_No Robin, that's a brilliant idea! _M'gann squealed happily. _And I have the perfect way to do it!_

Breakline-

The following morning, Superboy woke up in an even worse mood than the day before. It was raining. Heavily. He had been hoping to take Wolf out for a walk, not only to exercise the animal, but also to work out some of his frustration. Frustration at not having a _family._

_Family_

He was really starting to hate that word. Grumbling to himself, he violently kicked off the duvet and forcefully pulled on his usual black t-shirt with the familiar logo. Dragging his feet, he slammed open the door to his room and trudged along the corridor to the main sitting room in the cave, where he was sure to find his teammates - who, were in no way, shape or form, his _family. _

Sure enough, there they all were, sitting on the couch. As he sat down in an armchair beside the couch, Conner had the uncomfortable feeling that he was being scrutinised. Glancing over to the couch, he was met with the faces of his teammates, brimming with anticipation. Confused and definitely not in the mood, Connor glared at them.

'What?' He barked grumpily, which he immediately regretted after witnessing the hurt flash across M'gann's face, the disappointment of his leader and the slight apprehension of their youngest member.

But Kid Flash, however, never one to let things get him down, was unperturbed.

'Sheesh dude, chill out! We're just excited, that's all '. The red head teased, flashing a cheerful grin in his direction. 'You wanna know why?'

'No'

His grunt was met with silence.

Wally decided to try again. 'Well, you see Supey, you know how we were talking about that certain topic yesterday. What was it again? Oh yes...families, right? Yeah...well, um, we were thinking about it and...basically... werealllyareafamilytogethera ndwealllikeyoalotandwantyout oknowthatyou'repartofoutfamilytoo' he finished, blurting the last, more intimate, part of his speech in super speed.

'Wally, you nit! Nobody understood that!' Artemis scowled, whacking the speedster on the arm.

Taking a deep breath, Kaldur stepped forwards, towards the moody clone.

'My friend, what Wally meant to say was that we, as a team, really are a family and we want you to know that you are a big part of our family too. It is because of this desire to show you why we not only can be considered to be, but _are _a family that we came up with our plan' the leader smiled gently.

Robin suddenly flipped off of the couch to land right beside his chair, nodding eagerly.

'So we all went home and came out with a few memories: one where the team has supported us through a good time and one where they've helped us through a bad time' the acrobat continued for the leader, smiling. Wally sped over, slinging his arm around the Boy Wonder's shoulders loosely.

'Because, basically Dude, that's what families do. They are there for each other, through the good _and _the bad times, right? We've been doing this the entire time, but, well, we just thought you might need to be reminded.' Kid Flash finished, nodding his head towards the martian of the team.

M'gann smiled shyly at Conner, and floated over to stand beside her teammates.

'I know you don't like people being in you head, but this time, it'll be more like you're in all of our minds. This team _is _a family Conner, and we really want to show you what it means to us all. Please Conner?' she pleaded, taking his hand.

How could he refuse that? There was something about M'gann that always made him want, no need to make her happy. Plus, Robin's puppy dog eyes in his peripheral vision were not helping either.

'Fine, let's get it over with'.

_Breakline-_

The team currently all stood in M'gann's room, where they were less likely to be disturbed, positioned in a cirlce, loosely holding hands to form a chain.

'Okay guys, if we're ready, we can start?' Miss Martian began, 'I'll start with the happier moments alright?'. Her eyes began to glow and as the team closed their eyes, they soon found themselves standing in what appeared to be the training room of the cave.

'This is one of my happy memories' She smiled at them, 'thank you for being so supportive'.

The team easily spotted themselves from a few months ago.

_Wally and Artemis were bickering over the something or other and Kaldur and Robin were sparring, with Superboy watching with folded arms. Suddenly, there was a high pitched squeal as a green blur rushed into the room._

_'Guys, guys! Guess what! Guess what!' the Martian exclaimed, bouncing from foot to foot excitedly. _

_'What is it babe? Did you just realise that I'm single? Shocking I know, but-' Kid Flash was cut off by an elbow to the ribs from the blond archer._

_Shaking his head, amused, Kaldur stepped down from the training pad to approach the girl._

_'What has happened that pleases you so, my friend?' He asked kindly. Miss Martian seemed barely able to control herself, clapping her hands happily._

_'I made it!' She cried, 'The Bumblebees Cheerleading Team invited me to join their team!' And with that, she preceeded to grab a startled Artemis's hands and dance around the room with her, laughing delightedly. Her smile only seemed to grow larger at the comments she received._

_'That is excellent news my friend. I am so very pleased for you. They are lucky to have such a wonderful member for their team'. Kaldur. Always a kind-hearted soul._

_'Alright Miss M! You totally rock! You're gonna be asterous!' Robin. Any praise from the experienced, young acrobat was always welcome. She was secretly delighted at being thought of as 'cool' by her little brother._

_'A cheerleader too? Ah man! Babe, you couldn't get any sweeter! I'm gonna have a lot of competition!' Wally. Funny and well-meaning, she could always count on him to cheer her up._

_'Nice on M'gann! Admittedly, I've never really...liked... cheerleading, but with you in it, I guess it can't be all that bad'. Artemis. Strong and supportive, whenever and for whatever. _

_'I knew you could do it. When's your first game? I'll be there.' Conner. M'gann's heart fluttered. His support meant more to her than anything in the world and she clung to him, muttering one million 'thank you's. Her team cared about what she cared about. They were happy to see her happy._

As the memory faded, the team all looked up at M'gann, grinning.

_Geez Miss M, I didn't realise how much that meant to you _Robin laughed teasingly.

_Of course it meant a lot! I was so happy to have your support and am and will be eternally_ _grateful for my wonderful family. _She replied, her eyes sparkling. _Anyways, enough of me! Now it's time for someone else's memory! Here it goes..._

**_So here's what I have so far. I started with probably my least favourite memory so it will at least get more enjoyable for me to write... Please give me some indication as to whether you like it or not and whether or not you want to keep reading it. Will update as soon as I can if you want me to continue. Thanks xxx_**


	2. Chapter 2

Once more, the world around the teenagers began to come into focus. As they looked about curiously, they discovered that they were once more in the cave and that this time, the entire team were sitting at the table, eating dinner.

_Oh! I remember this! _Artemis said, _This was right after that mission with the drug dealers. You know, the really tough one?_

_Yeah, who could forget the lecture from Bats that evening? Wally groaned._

_Shhh you guys! It's starting! M'gann scolded gently._

_The team sat silently at the table eating the pasta the M'gann had generously offered to make them. They were all exhausted and sore, but despite their weariness, each member was silently proud of the way that they had come together to succeed in the mission. Yes...Batman had ordered them to be covert...but, they got the job done in the end right? Suddenly, Kaldur put down his fork and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of his team._

_'My friends, I just thought I should let you know that I am very proud of your teamwork today. You worked as a team and although Batman was seemingly irritated at us, I believe he was actually as pleased with your work as I am' He finished, smiling at the others._

_'Aww thanks leader-man! Although, you're missing a key part to this success story' Kid Flash teased, winking at the others._

_'I am afraid I do not quite understand your meaning' a confused Kaldur began, cocking hs head to the side slightly._

_'Kal, what he means it that we would never in a billion years have been able to work as well as we did together without you leading us' The young hacker explained, looking the leader directly in the eye. 'I mean sure, we're all pretty great on our own, but together, well, we're just plain awesome. But none of us get us working like we did as well as you dude. _

_As Kaldur began to object to this statement, Artemis stepped in, poking the teen in the arm._

_'Don't argue, it's true! You're a brilliant leader Kaldur and despite all the grief we give you, we need you here more than we let on.' The archer grinned._

_Kaldur's face was comical at that moment; a mixture of shock, and happiness, he blinked, and Conner could have sworn he saw his eyes glistening. _

_'I..I don't know what to say' he stuttered, staring at the table, before glancing at each member directly. 'Your faith in me is heartwarming and has truly restored much of my confidence. I thank you all, for being such a good team and, more importantly, for being even better friends'._

_The memory faded as he finished his speech, leaving just the team standing in their circle. _

_'See Fish-sticks, this was ages ago and you're still leading us as great as ever! No need to worry' Wally laughed._

_'Once more, I thank you for your kindness. Although I am not a born leader, you have brought me a confidence that has assured me that I am able to remain in this position until those destined to lead are ready' Kaldur replied, nodding his head gently in Robin's direction, who beamed back up at him._

_'Okay, here comes the next one everyone!' Came M'gann's voice as the room changed once more, only this time, it was clear that they were not in the cave anymore. They were situated in a crowded auditorium, filled with chairs seating what appeared to be proud parent's and family members. They spotted themselves in an row of seats near the front, sitting next to Bruce Wayne and an elderly man who Wally and Dick recognised as Alfred. _

_'Hey, isn't this Gotham Academy?' Artemis asked, looking around the room._

_'Yep, sure is' Said the hacker of the team. 'This is my memory. Remember the prize giving thing you guys came to?'_

_Recognition dawned on the faces of the team. This specific memory came from several weeks ago, very shortly after Robin had confided his secret identity to them. He had asked them some days later if they would come to a school awards ceremony that week, as all of his classmates would have family members present at the event. Naturally, the team had been honoured and had arrived, excitedly at the ceremony, looking out for any glimpses of their youngest member. Soon, the principal began to speak and the crowd quieted._

_'Welcome all to the annual Gotham Academy Prize Giving Ceremony' he began. 'This year, we have a number of talented students who we would like to award prizes to. First, we shall start with the literary prizes...' This was followed by a list of names being called as several students walked across the stage to shake hands with the headmaster. _

_'And now for some of our bigger prizes.' The Principal announced after most of the awards had been given out. 'As you may be aware, our school prides itself on its mathematics department and this year we've had great success from our mathlete team. This team consists of the top mathematicians in the entire school and so understandably, it is usually the eldest students who star. However this year, while all of the team members should be proud of themselves, I would like to award to prize for most accomplished student in mathematics to Richard Grayson, who has not only achieved astounding scores in his examinations but has proved to be a vital part of the mathlete team, despite the fact that he is the youngest member by several years. Congratulations, Richard!'_

_The team clapped excitedly, with Wally whistling loudly as Dick crossed the stage to shake hands with the Headmaster and receive his trophy. The young acrobat looked out at the crowd and, after spotting his friends, smiled even wider, waving at them shyly, before leaving the stage._

_Once the event had ended, the team walked to the back of the hall, where parents were regrouping with their children. They easily spotted Dick standing next to Bruce, whose arm was wrapped around the boy's shoulders as they both looked over the trophy that the child held. Seeing the team approaching, Bruce leaned down to whisper something into Dick's ear, which Conner heard to be 'I'm so proud of you, son', before telling him that he and Alfred would meet him by the car in a few minutes. Richard nodded before turning to his friends._

_'Hey guys, thanks for coming and everything. It meant a lot, you know?' He said, flicking his hair out of his eyes._

_'What are friends for, dude? But seriously, how smart are you, man? Look at that trophy- total babe magnet, Dick!' Wally joked, pretending to kiss the trophy, grinning as Dick laughed, amused._

_M'gann and Artemis then took that moment to pull the startled Boy Wonder into a hug, squealing at him, causing him to smile happily at the excited girls. He looked up as Kaldur knelt down next to him to place a hand on his shoulder._

_'We are very proud of you, my friend. What you are able to achieve, both as Dick Grayson and as Robin is admirable and I am extremely honoured to consider you a friend of mine' the leader spoke sincerely, looking the boy right in the eye. Dick, ducked his head modestly, secretly choked up at the praise from the guy that he looked up to as a big brother. He was finally pulled out of his thoughts by a poke to the arm by a large, and very strong finger. Conner._

_'Uh, well done...I guess' He mumbled, uncertainly, but those words were all that Dick needed to here before he launched himself at the startled clone, giggling delightedly as he wrapped his arms around the bigger boy's neck._

_'Thanks Con, thank you guys for everything!' he whispered before the memory faded to nothing again._


	3. Chapter 3

_The team shortly found themselves back in the darkness of M'gann's mind, each member smiling fondly at the hacker of the team who, to their amusement, was shyly ducking his head, embarrassed by the reminder of his unusual display of emotion that day. To save the boy from feeling more uncomfortable, M'gann quickly organised her thoughts into preparing the next memory. The change in scenery caused the remaining members of the team to glance around them in excited anticipation for the next memory._

_'I believe this memory belongs to Wally' the martian stated softly, smiling at the speedster. _

_'Alright! Get ready for some awesomeness from the Wallmeister guys!' the said teen grinned, pumping his fist into the air._

_The scene became clearer and as the team focussed on their surroundings, it became more and more obvious where they were now located. The Allen's house, or more specifically, Wally's bedroom._

_'Baywatch, seriously? This is from, like, two days ago. We can remember it perfectly anyway' she taunted, poking his arm, although nobody missed the twinkle that had appeared in her eyes now that she recognised the memory._

_'Yeah, well it was a great party, right?' Wally defended, crossing his arms over his chest in a haughty manner. Kaldur, sensing that tension was brewing calmly placed a hand on Wally's shoulder, before intervening._

_'We all had a nice time, my friend. Let us take this time to remember this happy moment we shared' He reasoned, nodding his head towards the memory, causing the others to follow his lead. The team from the past were currently spread out all over the floor of the speedster's bedroom. Wally was flopped on his bed, his chin resting in his hands as he chatted to his friends. All that could be seen of Robin was his head poking out of the sleeping bag he was curled into on the floor after Wally had graciously shoved his off of the bed. Sitting with his arm wrapped around M'gann was Conner, who leaned contentedly against the wall, facing the rest of his teammates. Kaldur and Artemis occupied the two chairs in the room, also wrapped in blankets or sleeping bags. The team appeared to be playing a lively game of Truth or Dare and it was Wally's turn._

_'Alrighty now! Who to choose, who to choose? So much power... Hmmm, I could have some revenge on old Robbie boy here, but annoying Artie is just that much more entertaining. So Artemis, What'll it be? Truth or dare?' Kid Flash demanded teasingly, flinging a pillow at the glaring archer._

_'Everyone knows truth is for wimps' she hissed, sending a heated glare at the speedster. 'Give me your worst. Dare'._

_This statement seemed to bring delight to Wally, who snickered evilly. _

_'Okay then Blondie, we all know that you try to have this 'tough guy' image going for ya, but really, I don't buy it. This little dare will give us a chance to see that Artie's really just a soft pussy cat at heart' He declared in triumph. 'I want you to go around the room, and tell everyone two nice things about them. Not just stupid stuff, but real, personal crap' He finished, grinning proudly at her and causing both M'gann and Robin to stifle giggles at picturing Artemis giving being mushy._

_However, the blonde archer did not seem fazed._

_'Whatever, pretty easy if you ask me' she replied before standing up from her nest of pillows with a sigh. 'Right, who's first on the hit list then?' she asked, looking around the room before resting her gaze on M'gann, huddled in Conner's arms._

_'M'gann, I think it's really great how kind you are to everyone, even when you might not even be happy yourself. I could definitely learn a thing or two about that from you' the archer spoke quickly, but maintained eye contact with the martian, 'And I am really thankful to count you as a sister of mine'. She finished with a small smile, which only grew as M'gann squealed happily, before floating over to pull the lithe girl into a tight hug, thanking her for the compliment excitedly._

_'Okay, umm, Conner, I admire your loyalty to the team. I mean, really, you stick buy us no matter what and to be perfectly honest, I'm also really thankful for your bravery. I never feel as nervous knowing you've got my back'. This statement was rewarded with a grunt from the clone, but watching from above, the team were certain they saw him smile. Just a little._

_'Right...Okay dokes, Dick, I think it's really awesome how you can do things that people who are older or bigger can't even dream of. Your hacking skills are off the scale and your flippy things are pretty cool too' she winked causing the youngest of them to chuckle. 'Most importantly, you make me feel okay- no proud, to be a non super-powered member of the team. You prove that we can kick butt just as well as the others can!' She finished with a challenging grin to the other members of the team, before leaning over the bed to high-five the acrobat._

_'Who's next? Kaldur, I guess. Well, Kal, I've gotta say, you are probably the most level-headed person I've ever seen. It's pretty incredible the way you're able to stay so calm in all the tight situations we get into in missions. We're lucky to have you around.' Artemis stated sincerely, before continuing. 'You're also a really good friend, and I know I can always count on you to be there for me if I need to talk to someone'. _

_Once she had finished speaking, Artemis clapped her hands together before moving back to her seat and flopping down onto it, calling out the usual 'Truth or dare' question to the others. Wally, noticing her motives, sat up quickly, spluttering at the archer._

_'Whoa, whoa, whoa! You ain't finished yet, babe! You forgot to say something nice about me? Shouldn't be too difficult...' he grinned, composing himself once more, before being pummeled by a pillow, thrown by the Boy Wonder._

_'Wally, I'm pretty sure that it would be impossible for anyone to find something good about you to say. We should just move o- Mmpphh!' The smallest in the room was abruptly cut off by a hand smothering his mouth as a certain red head tackled the hacker on the floor, before gesturing to the archer to continue. _

_'Uh...whatever. Well, umm...' she started, her eyes narrowed, appearing to be having an internal debate. Coming to a decision, the archer glanced up once before mumbling so quickly that the team almost missed what she said._

_'I guess you're pretty funny. Sometimes. And you make me laugh a lot which helps when I'm feeling depressed or whatever. You can be brave and a good fighter and I guess, when you're not being a TOTAL idiot, I like you a lot. 'she spat out before crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner and glaring out of the window, moodily. Although she'd missed it on the night, Artemis and the rest of the team now watched, amused, as the Wally from the memory, became completely flustered, his jaw dropping and a blush spreading over his face, before he, too, looked away to avoid the teasing glances of his friends. The pair's uncomfortable body language was the last image of the memory before it ended, leaving just the current laughter of the team, minus Wally and Artemis._

_'Are you brain-dead? Why'd you choose that memory? Did you want to humiliate us? 'she demanded, although the anger was clearly half-hearted._

_Wally simply shrugged, before nervously glancing up at the girl, whilst rubbing at the back of his neck._

_'I meant it. It was one of my best memories and... and it means a lot to me. All of it.' He stated, catching her eye._

__**Okay, this is the next one! Sorry, it's so late, I've just been a bit busy :) I'll try and update more often if you want me to continue. Also, if you have any other ideas about other stories or moments between certain team member or anything at all please let me know! :) Also, thanks sooooo much to the reviews i've had so far - they mean way more to me that you can imagine and i am always super excited to read them! xxxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alrighty, here's the next one! I was actually able to update faster than I expected for once. Hope you like it :) **

_'Right! Well, are we all ready for the last one?' M'gann asked perkily, clearly trying to dissipate the awkward atmosphere created by Wally and Artemis. Taking the thankful glance from the archer and the relieved sigh from the speedster as a hint, the martian advanced quickly onwards to the next memory._

_'I guess this has to be mine then' Artemis drawled, not looking particularly excited in the least. _

_'Save the best for last, right Artie?' The Boy Wonder grinned, poking her in the ribs in an attempt to cheer her up. His laughter was soon cut off, however, by M'gann, who quieted the team as the memory began._

_This time, the scenery was one which everyone knew very well; the debriefing, or mission room of the cave. The team recognised themselves standing in a huddle by the entrance, facing the slim archer of the team,who appeared to be utterly miserable._

_'In case you're confused' the present Artemis whispered, 'this is right after I told you guys the truth. You know, about my dad and everything...' she trailed off, uncertainly. Understanding dawned on the faces of her friends, who turned their attention back to the screen, but not before Conner noticed Wally moving to place a supportive hand on the blonde's shoulder, who returned the favour with a small, thankful nod of her own._

_'I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I know it was wrong of me and you trusted me and whatever, but if I'd told you, you would have kicked me off of the team. I couldn't let that happen; this team means more to me than any of you know. It's like you guys are my fami- oh forget it, you're probably just going to kick me off the team now anyways, aren't you?' The archer snapped, clearly distressed. Without glancing up, she threw her bow and quiver over her shoulder and began to march towards the exit, until a quiet, yet commanding voice stopped her in her tracks._

_'No, Artemis' Kaldur stepped forwards,his hands up and open in a peaceful gesture, 'While it would have perhaps been useful to have known that Sportsmaster was your father, it would not have affected your position on this team. You are your own person and we have come to trust and care about you, not your father'._

_Wally, despite his grumbling and petty arguments with the archer, nodded his head to show his agreement to the statement. Although they'd argued about lies in the past, Wally knew that he had always trusted the archer to watch his back and even if she'd told his that she was Mr. Freeze in disguise, he was pretty sure that he would never be able to cast her out. The youngest of the team took this moment to bounce forward to stand in front of the archer confidently._

_'I knew already' he stated, grinning at the gasps and shocked looks from his team. 'It didn't really mean anything though, I mean, you still kicked the bad guys' asses right?'. Artemis and the others laughed at his attempt to lighten the mood._

_M'gann, of course, had very little anxiety over the admittance, scooting away form Conner to throw her grasp Artemis's hands in her own, smiling reassuringly at her. Feeling the weight of the burden she had carried for such a long time begin to lighten, the archer turned to the last, biggest member of the team. She knew that of all of them, he would be the toughest to persuade, given his overprotective nature, especially towards M'gann and the youngest member of the team._

_'What do ya say, big guy? You wanna kick me out?' she joked, although nobody missed the nervous edge to her tone._

_Conner stared back at her, unblinkingly, for a good minute, before folding his arms and nodding his head at her in approval. _

_'You've only ever helped the team so far. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. I know how important it is to be your own person' the clone spoke slowly, before turning his attention back to M'gann, who had once more linked arms with him. _

_For Artemis, this statement, and the others were some of the best presents she had ever received. Somebody trusted her! Actually knew who she was and didn't want to immediately reject her. She felt lighter than she had in years. The happy smile on her face was the last scene of the memory, before the current team found themselves, once again, facing each other with smiles on their faces._

**This was a slightly shorter one, but i hope it was okay! I'll hopefully be able to update again really soon, but let me know about any thoughts you have on the story so far. Seriously, I love to hear about ANYTHING you've got to say about it or whatever. Hope you're having a good Christmas! xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

_'So you see Conner, all of these moment that we've had together as a team, have really brought us together as a family too'. M'gann said gently, placing her hand on the larger boy's arm. _

_'We all like to hang out and stuff, Supes, you know? Part of what makes us really great!' Wally exclaimed, finishing with a victorious trophy pose that made everyone roll their eyes at the speedster._

_'However, it is not only the happy moments that make us a family, but also the... tougher ones' Kaldur intervened hesitantly, cautious to disrupt the joyful atmosphere. 'Which is why we also chose memories, although much smaller ones, in which we have bonded as a family through the more difficult situations'._

_'Because that's what families do, Supey,' Robin told the clone, gesturing to the small group, 'we're there for each other through all the troubles that we have to face, however scary, embarrassing or stupid they might be'._

_The clone nodded slowly, beginning to form an understanding of what the term 'family' actually meant. It pleased him that he would no longer have to depend on the cold neglect of Superman to provide all of the family love that he desired so badly. A gentle tap on his shoulder from M'gann, brought him back to attention._

_'These memories are more like small snippets of memories from each of us. Some are quite distressing, but I hope this will show you how strong a bond we've formed over the time we've spent together' the martian trailed off quietly, before focussing her mind to begin the memories once more. For a moment, there was only darkness, and Conner began to wonder if, perhaps, something had gone wrong. However, before he had time to question the possibility further, he was overwhelmed with a number of emotions and experiences, each of which touched a nerve deep inside of him. One that he only experience when his family was involved._

Kid Flash was lying on the ground, fists clenched in the damp soil, his back arched in pain as he cried in agony. The team surrounded him, horrified by the terrible wound on his leg, which Artemis and Kaldur were attempting to stop from bleeding. Artemis was pleading desperately for Wally to 'just hang on', shaking his shoulders every few moments as if to force him to remain awake. Alive.

Interestingly, Roy was present in this mission, but had been painfully forced away from his red-headed friend to care for the youngest of the team, who was not coping well with the situation. Robin was pulled tightly against Red Arrow's chest, bawling his eyes out as he stared, terrified at his best friend. The thought of losing someone so close to him again was petrifying.

A strained voice broke the silence.

"Conner, see to M'gann. She needs your love, not you brutality or want for revenge" Aqualad ordered sternly, although his face showed his desire for vengeance just as clearly as the clone's did.

The clone moved towards the shaking martian, and wrapped his arms around her weeping form. His protective presence immediately soothed the girl, who composed herself enough to try once more to contact the league.

A terrified scream shattered the still, silence of the night, leading to several pairs of stomping feet come tearing down to corridor of the cave. The door to the youngest member's bedroom was smashed open by a worried Conner before the entire team piled into the hacker's room to see the boy sitting up on his bed, with his legs pulled up to his chest, sobbing hysterically.

Wally, the most experienced at dealing with such situations, was the first to react, speeding over to the Boy Wonder, to sit next to him on the bed and wrap an arm around his shoulder. The team glanced at each other in concern, everyone being aware of the content of the hacker's dreams having been forced to soothe him on a number of occasions in the past.

Kaldur approached next, kneeling down in front of the frightened child, who looked so much smaller than he normally did. The leader gently placed his hands on the boy's knees before repeating calming, reassurances to the acrobat.

Both M'gann and Artemis followed their motherly instincts, rushing over to the youngest to pat his head, stroke his hair, hold his hand.

And Conner, always the protecter of the team. The big brother. Stood watchfully by the door, ensuring there was no danger threatening his family when they appeared so vulnerable.

Kaldur sat alone at the kitchen table, shoulders slumped, as he sighed unhappily. He had recently returned from Atlantis and had yet to speak a word to any of the team, but his body language made his depression clear to all who observed the leader.

Conner, never having been on to 'beat around the bush' approached the Atlantian from the doorway. Glancing over the older boy's shoulder to look at the photo of an attractive female he held, the clone placed a heavy hand on the leader's shoulder. Kaldur looked up, surprised at the clone's presence, let alone the concern in his eyes.

"There are always other fish in the sea. No pun intended". were the only words the larger boy spoke, but they served to lighten the older boy's heart, causing him to chuckle lightly at the clone.

"I'm so ugly! So hideous! It's why I wanted to leave Mars in the first place. Nobody wanted me there, and nobody will want me here either! I don't even know how you can stand to look at me, I'm jus- " But the martian's criticisms of herself were abruptly cut short by a quick kiss on the cheek from a certain clone of Superman.

Artemis was angry. No, furious. Not only had she let her team down by missing an easy shot during the mission, but she'd let her sister, _Cheshire, _catch her off guard too, easily knocking her down.

Letting out a yell of fury and frustration, the archer kicked her bow across the floor of the cave, before clenching her fists and turning to punch a hole in the wall. Or at least, to leave a dent in it. However, a large hand wrapped around her arm stopped her from completing her task. Looking back into the calm eyes of the clone, Artemis ripped her arm free from the stronger being, who merely answered her glare with a few short words.

"When I'm angry, it helps me to spar" he suggested, before turning to walk back towards the training room and despite the less than kind looks she shot at him, the archer soon followed Superboy out of the room.

Conner roared angrily as he smashed his fists against the walls of the container for what seemed like the millionth time. Cursing his inability to be as strong as Superman, to be Superman, the clone tried desperately to tear open the strong material of the cylinder which held both Kid Flash and Robin trapped inside, drowning in the water that filled their prison to the very top.

Superboy was _not _going to stand by and watch his family be taken away from him. This stupid container held nothing against the need he felt to ensure his friends made it out of this one okay.

The team, plus Red Arrow, were returning from an exhausting mission, which, in all honesty, had been a disaster. The baddies had got away, their covert positions had been lost and civilians had been seriously injured. The signs of failure were clear from the dragging feet and lack of conversation. Not even Kaldur could pretend to be at all optimistic about the mission.

"Team, get some rest.I expect Batman will wish for us to report to him in the morning" the Atlantian ordered quietly, supporting an injured Artemis to the med-bay.

Roy soon followed the leader, heading instead towards the corridor containing the bedrooms of the young team members. In his capable arms he held a sleeping Robin, who sported a nasty bump on his head. The elder boy looked behind him periodically to ensure that his other brother, Wally, was following him to the bedrooms. Although seemingly cold on the outside, the elder archer was always one to care for his brothers.

Watching the others leave, Conner and M'gann looked to each other before walking over to the couch together. Both knew that sleep would not come easy this night, but were reassured that at least neither of them would be alone.

**Okay, here's the next little bit. Really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it too! :) xxx**


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